CFR > Title 46 - Shipping > CHAPTER I—COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY > SUBCHAPTER Q—EQUIPMENT, CONSTRUCTION, AND MATERIALS: SPECIFICATIONS AND APPROVAL (parts 159 to 165) > PART 160—LIFESAVING EQUIPMENT > SUBPART 160.076—Inflatable Recreational Personal Flotation Devices (§160.076-1 to §160.076-39) > 160.076-25—Approval testing.

160.076-25—Approval testing.

(a) To obtain approval of an inflatable PFD design, approval tests specified in UL 1180 and this section must be conducted or supervised by a recognized laboratory using PFDs that have been constructed in accordance with the plans and specifications submitted with the application for approval.
(b) Each PFD design must pass the tests required by UL 1180 and this section that are applicable to the PFD performance type for which approval is sought.
(c) Each test subject participating in the tests in UL 1180, section 6 shall in addition, demonstrate that the test subject can repack the PFD such that it can be used in the donning tests and manual activation tests required by—
(1) Section 6.2.3 of UL 1180; and
(2) Sections 6.4.1, and 6.4.2 of UL 1180, if the test engineer cannot verify that the manual and oral inflators are properly stowed.
(d) Each PFD design must pass the following tests and evaluations:
(1) Visual examination. The complete PFD must be visually examined for compliance with the construction and performance requirements of §§ 160.076-21 and 160.076-23 and UL 1180 and 1191.
(2) Inflation chamber properties. The following tests must be conducted after successful completion of all other approval tests. The test samples used in the following tests must come from one or more PFDs that were each used in all the Use Characteristics Tests required by UL 1180 section 6.
(i) Grab breaking strength. The grab breaking strength of chamber materials must be determined in accordance with Method No. 5100 of Federal Test Method Standard 191 or ASTM D 751 (incorporated by reference, see § 160.076-11 ).
(ii) Tear strength. The tear strength of chamber materials must be determined in accordance with Method No. 5132 or 5134 of Federal Test Method Standard 191 or ASTM D 751 (incorporated by reference, see § 160.076-11 ).
(iii) Permeability. The permeability of chamber materials must be determined in accordance with ASTM D 1434 (incorporated by reference, see § 160.076-11) using CO2 as the test gas.
(iv) Seam strength. The seam strength of the seams in each inflation chamber of at least one PFD must be determined in accordance with ASTM D 751 (incorporated by reference, see § 160.076-11) except that 25 by 200 mm (1 by 8 in.) samples may be used where insufficient length of straight seam is available.
(e) Additional tests. The Commandant may prescribe additional tests for approval of novel or unique designs.
[CGD 94-110, 60 FR 32848, June 23, 1995, as amended by CGD 94-110, 61 FR 13946, Mar. 28, 1996; USCG-2000-7790, 65 FR 58463, Sept. 29, 2000]